Retiring Corvette 'godfather' on EVs, spinoff and a performance SUV

DETROIT — Tadge Juechter's first "taste" of Corvette working at General Motors was to research whether there were enough Americans who could afford a new high-performance model of the famed sports car, known as the ZR1, back in 1985.

Nearly 40 years later, not only are there enough people to afford such a vehicle, but GM's new 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 stands as something of a coup de grace for Juechter, who retired Wednesday after roughly 47 years with the Detroit automaker.

The so-called "godfather" of the modern Corvette retired roughly a week after helping to introduce the new 2025 Corvette ZR1 — the most powerful and fastest version of the car ever produced.

"One thing all the great Corvettes of recent years and decades have had in common is you. Your knowledge, your skills, your hard work, your passion," GM President Mark Reuss told Juechter when revealing the vehicle. "Thank you for making Corvette the glorious American sports car it remains. Thank you for making our company better."

Reuss announced last month that all 2025 Corvettes and beyond will feature a silhouette profile of Juechter's head etched in window locations and the front tunnel reinforcement panel beneath every Corvette 

CNBC interviewed Juechter, 67, ahead of his retirement, touching on his career as well as the business of Corvette, including plans for an all-electric version and the potential of spinning off the brand and for an SUV.

GM has said an all-electric Corvette is coming, but it hasn't given a time frame. Last year, the automaker introduced a hybrid version of the car called the E-Ray.

Juechter wasn't inclined to disclose any details of an upcoming Corvette EV, but he believes the E-Ray proves GM can successfully electrify Corvette.

"Electrif